Year: 2024 | Month: September | Volume 17 | Issue 3
Agriculture Based Livelihood Systems in Drylands - Challenges and Strategies
CH. Mounika Leena
Leela Krishna Chaithanya
Subhash Kumar Saurav
Roopika Sajjan
DOI:10.30954/0974-1712.03.2024.10
Abstract:
Dryland agriculture is a complicated and uncertain system made up of crops, horticulture trees, livestock and vegetables. India’s total geographic area is 328 million hectares, of which 228 million hectares are dryland (UNCCD). A livelihood system is the total combination of activities undertaken by a typical household to ensure a living. Most rural households have several income earners, who pursue a combination of crop and livestock, farm, off-farm and non-farm activities in different seasons to earn
a living. Agriculture based livelihood activities occupy a very significant position in the economic development of the Indian economy as agriculture sector has a high employment potential. This paper emphasises the challenges and strategies in agriculture-based livelihood systems in drylands. According to the findings, the primary challenges are land degradation, climate risk, low animal productivity, and output variability. The most important strategies for agriculture-based livelihood systems in drylands
are to promote integrated farming systems, boost allied agricultural activities, increase income through dryland horticulture, and integrate on-farm and off-farm activities. In order to promote equitable development, dryland areas require “a paradigm shift from a ‘commodity-centred Green revolution’ to an ‘Integrated resource management and farming Systems-centred rainbow revolution’. Farming areas in dry regions require much more attention.
© This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited
Highlights
- Dryland agriculture in India covers 69% of the land but struggles with water scarcity, climate variability, and frequent droughts.
- Despite these challenges, dryland regions significantly contribute to national food production and livelihoods.
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